Erythropoietin preserves outer blood-retinal barrier integrity in diabetic retinopathy via AMPK-dependent autophagy and Nrf2 signaling - PubMed
a day ago
- #Erythropoietin
- #Autophagy
- #Diabetic Retinopathy
- Erythropoietin (EPO) helps preserve the outer blood-retinal barrier (BRB) integrity in diabetic retinopathy (DR).
- EPO stabilizes the BRB by protecting retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) junctional integrity and enhancing antioxidant responses.
- In diabetic mice, EPO administration restored RPE barrier integrity and reduced oxidative damage markers like 4-HNE and 8-OHdG.
- EPO activates the AMPK-ULK1 pathway, enhancing autophagy and promoting Nrf2 nuclear translocation for antioxidant responses.
- The study suggests EPO's potential as a therapeutic strategy for early diabetic retinopathy by targeting outer BRB impairment.